31st March and 1st April
A glorious day on the 31st
with a very light easterly breeze and plenty of bright sunshine throughout;
there was a great selection of migrants scattered across the island, although
nothing too rare the totals were highlighted by the first Chiffchaff
of the year caught in a Heligoland trap and 3 Long-eared Owls,
caught at Holland in the early morning.
Other totals comprised 12 Woodcock, 5 Woodpigeons, 65
Skylarks, 30 Meadow Pipits, 37 Rock Pipits (including another littoralis bird at the Lighthouse), 3
Grey Wagtails, 27 Pied Wagtails, 2 White Wagtails, a Dunnock, an excellent 153+
Robins, 2 Black Redstarts, 142 Blackbirds, 99 Fieldfares, 30 Song Thrushes, 110
Redwings, 9 Mistle Thrushes, a Goldcrest, 4 Rook (including one trapped at
Holland – only the fourth to be ringed on the island!), 10 Chaffinches, 2
Bramblings, 14 Linnets, 15 Twite, 5 Snow Buntings and 7 Reed Buntings.
Nine Red-throated Divers were counted offshore along
with little bits including a Merlin, 2 Grey Plover, a Ruff, 2 Knot and the Kumlien’s Gull again.
Another lovely day on the first of the month with
light winds (absolutely flat calm for a spell in the afternoon) and plenty of
sunshine but the weather did close in slightly early evening; migrants across
the island through the day included a Woodpigeon, 77 Skylarks, 40 Meadow
Pipits, 22 Pied Wagtails, 3 Grey Wagtails, 3 Dunnocks, 117 Robins, 185 Blackbirds,
90 Fieldfares, 22 Song Thrushes, 2 Mistle Thrushes, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Rook, 3
Chaffinches and 2 Bramblings.
Three Barnacle Geese were new with the Greylags while
the Pink-footed Goose and Whooper Swan remained; 14 Great-northern Divers were
off the south end on calm seas and in the fields, there was a slight increase
to 160 Golden Plover and three Black-tailed Godwits were on Gretchen.
Long-eared Owl Simon Davies
Rook Simon Davies
Chiffchaff George Gay
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